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Experience Passage Meditation

Welcome to Our Online Workshop!

In this workshop you’ll find out how passage meditation works, learn the instructions, and try it out for yourself for five minutes. Let’s start with a thought experiment. Think of a person you admire, such as a friend, parent, or teacher – someone you’ve met. What qualities, or characteristics, do they have?

Choose two qualities that apply to the person you admire

What is Passage Meditation?

Often, the qualities we admire in others are qualities we'd like to have too. That's where passage meditation comes in. In passage meditation, we meditate on inspiring passages, or texts, from the great wisdom traditions of the world. We're going to show you an example passage that represents the qualities that you just chose in the person you admire.

The Best

Lao Tzu

The best, like water, Benefit all and do not compete. They dwell in lowly spots that everyone else scorns. Putting others before themselves, They find themselves in the foremost place And come very near to the Tao. In their dwelling, they love the earth; In their heart, they love what is deep; In personal relationships, they love kindness; In their words, they love truth. In the world, they love peace. In personal affairs, they love what is right. In action, they love choosing the right time. It is because they do not compete with others That they are beyond the reproach of the world.

Lao Tzu (c. 604-531 BCE) was a legendary Chinese sage whose collection of verses, the Tao Te Ching, is the basis of Taoism. This passage is published in Easwaran’s spiritual anthologies, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow” and “Timeless Wisdom.”

The Prayer of Saint Francis

Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.Where there is hatred, let me sow love;Where there is injury, pardon;Where there is doubt, faith;Where there is despair, hope;Where there is darkness, light;Where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seekTo be consoled as to console,To be understood as to understand,To be loved as to love;For it is in giving that we receive;It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

St. Francis of Assisi (c. 1181-1226) is probably the most universally loved of Catholic saints. This passage is published in Easwaran’s spiritual anthologies, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow” and “Timeless Wisdom.”

Evening Prayer for the Sabbath

Jewish Liturgy

In this moment of silent communion with Thee, O Lord, a still small voice speaks in the depth of my spirit.

It speaks to me of the things I must do to attain holy kinship with Thee and to grow in the likeness of Thee.

I must do my allotted task with unflagging faithfulness even though the eye of no taskmaster is on me.

I must be gentle in the face of ingratitude or when slander distorts my noblest motives.

I must come to the end of each day with a feeling that I have used its gifts gratefully and faced its trials bravely.

O Lord, help me to be ever more like Thee, holy for Thou art holy,loving for Thou art love.

Speak to me, then, Lord, as I seek Thee again and again in the stillness of meditation, until Thy bidding shall at last become for me a hallowed discipline, a familiar way of life.

This passage, a selection from Jewish Liturgy, is published in Easwaran’s spiritual anthologies, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow” and “Timeless Wisdom.”

The Miracle of Illumination

Shantideva

As a blind man feels when he finds a pearl in a dustbin, so am I amazed by the miracle of Bodhi rising in my consciousness.

It is the nectar of immortality that delivers us from death, the treasure that lifts us above poverty into the wealth of giving to life, the tree that gives shade to us when we roam aboutscorched by life, the bridge that takes us across the stormy river of life, the cool moon of compassion that calms our mind when it is agitated, the sun that dispels darkness, the butter made from the milk of kindness by churning it with the dharma.

It is a feast of joy to which all are invited.

Shantideva was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist monk and mystic, revered in the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism. This passage is published in Easwaran’s spiritual anthologies, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow” and “Timeless Wisdom.”

The Real Lovers of God

Narsinha Mehta

They are the real lovers of GodWho feel others’ sorrow as their own.When they perform selfless service,They are humble servants of the Lord.Respecting all, despising none,They are pure in thought, word, and deed.Blessed is the mother of such a child,And in their eyes the Divine MotherShines in every woman they see.They are always truthful, even-minded,Never coveting others’ wealth,Free from all selfish attachments,Ever in tune with the Holy Name.Their bodies are like sacred shrinesIn which the Lord of Love is seen.Free from greed, anger, and fear,These are the real lovers of God.

Narsinha Mehta (1414-1480) was a saint, poet, and musician. This is Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite hymn from his own Hindu tradition. This passage is a free rendering for meditation by Easwaran, and is published in his anthology, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow.”

Let Nothing Upset You

Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) is a much-loved Catholic saint and mystic from Avila, Spain, who followed both the way of action and the way of contemplation. This passage is published in Easwaran’s spiritual anthologies, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow” and “Timeless Wisdom.”

You Become What You Meditate On

In this practice, by meditating on a passage that expresses positive, uplifting qualities, you're able to develop those qualities in yourself. To meditate, first you memorize a passage. Then sit down and gently close your eyes. Silently repeat the words of the passage in your mind, bringing your mind back to the words when distractions come. We do this every day for 30 minutes. Right now we're going try it for five minutes to see what it's like.

Thanks for Joining Us

Take a moment and reflect – how was that meditation session for you? You've now experienced passage meditation, got basic instructions, and have everything you need to start your own practice and see the benefits for yourself.